Tuesday, July 17, 2018

Once Upon a Time is Now!

Photo by Adriene Biondo. Neon signs for the Pussy Cat Theater, Supply Sergeant and Musso & Franks have all be restored and re-lit!

The retro Los Angeles community is buzzing this week! All of my friends that ADORE vintage buildings and pop culture in Los Angeles have been posting photographs and information about Quentin Tarantino's new film, "Once Upon a Time in Hollywood." It appears that Tarantino has taken over a block of Hollywood Boulevard, between Cherokee and Las Palmas for the location shooting of his new movie. He is re-painting and propping the store-fronts so that it is 1969 once again. I do believe that the film takes place between 1969 and the early to mid-1970s.

Photo by Alison Martino. Re-creation of The Supply Sergeant and Peaches Record Shop

I drove past the location this morning, but of course, it was a traffic jam. I couldn't park, let alone take any decent photos. I will rely on the great photos of my friends, Adriene Biondo, Alison Martino, Peter Chaconas and a few of my own for this post.

Photo by Peter Chaconas. Re-creation of The PussyCat Theatre and a bit of the original sign on Larry Edmunds Cinema and Theatre Bookshop

The film is a mystery, crime movie that takes place around the time of the Manson Family murders. There is an ensemble cast including Leonardo DiCaprio, Brad Pitt, Margot Robbie, Burt Reynolds and more! Read about the film HERE. Scroll down and read EVERYTHING! The premise is that a TV actor and his stunt double try to make a name for themselves in Hollywood. I'm assuming there will be many plot points that may or may not come together in the end. I do love Tarantino films, no matter how violent they are. This time, it appears that Tarantino is going to a lot of trouble to get the look of Hollywood just right!

Photo by Alison Martino. Re-creation of vintage TV and small appliance store on Hollywood Boulevard

There were a series of posters from the era that depicted movie stars of the 1920s and 1930s. These posters were everywhere at the time. Many of these posters were published in 1968 by Royal Screen Craft, Inc. They encompassed psychedelic art of the era and nostalgia for old movie stars like The Marx Brothers, Clara Bow, Mae West, W.C. Fields, Charlie Chaplin and more. The artist was Elaine Hanelock. This image is being painted facing the parking lot at Musso's on the building next door. I hope they leave this mural after filming is completed!

I'm sure that Tarantino is using other locations around Southern California, but having him bring back our memories of the Hollywood Boulevard of our youth is worth more than gold. Thank you, Quentin! The film should be released in 2019 to coincide with the 50th anniversary of the Tate-LaBianca Murders.